Garment hanger



Nov. 19, 1957 G. GRAY GARMENT HANGER Filed July 25, 1955 ATTORNEYS United States Patent GARMENT HANGER Gene Gray, Salt Lake City, Utah Application July 25, 1955, Serial No. 523,988

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-88) The description which follows relates to an improved garment hanger. This is of the type ordinarily fashioned from a single strand of wire and intended to support garments both in storage and when handled for pressing, dry cleaning and the like.

It is widely recognized that the ordinary hanger of this type is not well adapted for retaining garments in the desired position. If the garment, such as a coat or skirt, rests upon the upper portion of the hanger, the garment will slip to one end and thus permit a shoulder of the garment to become unsupported or subject to wrinkling. Moreover, the horizontal cross bar of such a hanger is frequently too long to support a folded garment such as a pair of trousers in the center. The garment frequently slides into one side corner and becomes creased.

I have devised an improved garment hanger having provision for holding the garment against sliding movement over the shoulder portion, or along the horizontal cross bar. At the same time it will serve to form a hook for suspending the garment either above the shoulder portion or below the cross bar.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide suitable bracing and reinforcement of the ordinary hanger near the outer or shoulder supporting ends.

Another object of the invention is to prevent the shoulder of the garment from slipping toward or over one of the shoulder supporting ends.

A still further object of the invention is to provide similar means to limit the sliding movement of a garment when folded over the lower bar.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of outwardly extending depending hooks below the horizontal cross bar over which trouser cufis, waist bands and so forth, may be stretched.

In addition the improved arrangement permits of ready modification of the ordinary wire coat hanger to carry out the above purposes but at the same time permit the improved facilities to be removed prior to use of the coat hanger when returned to the laundry or dry cleaning establishment.

Further objects of my invention will be readily understood as set out in the preferred form of the invention and illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved garment hanger and retainer;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the retainer fastened on the hanger; and

Fig. 3 is a similar end elevation of the retainer separately.

To accomplish the results above outlined I have taken an ordinary garment hanger 5, formed of a single length of stiff wire. The ends of the wire are twisted to form the hook 6.

The sloping side portions 7, 7 are provided to support the waist band or shoulder of a garment in the usual fashion. Preferably each portion 7, 7 has a slight bend at 8.

The mid-portion of the wire forms a horizontal cross bar 9 of usual form and construction. 7

The essential improvement on the above device consists in providing two retainers 10, 10. These are made of short length round, plastic material which has a slight amount of inherent resilience when bent laterally. The retainer 10 is formed with a bent upper end 11. The opposite end of the retainer 10 is bent upwardly as shown at 12 to form a book. This hook is on the opposite side of the retainer 10 from the upper bent end 11. In other words, the ends of the retainer 10 are bent in opposite directions.

Near the upper end 11, the retainer 10 has a diagonal groove 13 substantially parallel with the end 11. This brings it also parallel with the adjacent portion 7 at the bend 8.

Spaced beneath the groove 13, the retainer 10 is grooved as shown at 14 in a direction at right angles to the axis of the retainer. The groove 14 is spaced from the groove 13 by a distance equal to the distance between the bend 8 and the cross bar 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

The grooves 13 and 14 each are dove-tail in crosssection as shown in Fig. 3. The width of the grooves at the top is slightly less than that of the wire stock, while at the base the grooves are substantially as wide as this wire. The groove 14 may be so proportioned that it will permit the retainer to turn but prevent its release except by use of considerable force.

The retainers are applied to the hanger by pressing them against the parts of the hanger. The resilience of the retainers 10 permits the grooves to open slightly allowing the parts 8 and 9 to fit in the grooves. The outer edges of the grooves are sufiiciently close together to prevent inadvertent separation. The grip of the retainers on the parts 8 and 9 is such as to prevent longitudinal sliding of the retainers.

Such retainers may be easily applied by finger pressure and will remain in position during use.

The inwardly directed upper ends 11 will engage the adjacent fold of the garment and prevent it from slipping toward the end of the hanger. The retainer itself forms a rigid reinforcement between the parts 7, 9.

The lower hooks 12 being bent outwardly will receive the opposite parts of a waist band, trouser cuif or the like. The garment will then be held in stretched position.

Use of the transverse cross bar for supporting a folded garment insures that the latter is kept in the center of the hanger below the hook. It is also prevented from sliding into one of the ends and thus becoming creased.

Ordinarily the retainers may be separated at groove 13 to permit the retainers to swing down around bar 9. The hanger then has a free portion 7 for its full length. The retainer is however held permanently on the bar 9.

The improved garment hanger is easily assembled of cheap material and is eflicient in operation. Its form and material may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A garment hanger comprising an integral wire frame having joined ends forming a hook, outwardly and downwardly sloping shoulder portions and a lower transverse cross-bar, and garment retainers fastened in vertical position to the hanger, said retainers being resilient round rods each having an upper diagonal groove fitted on the shoulder portion of the hanger, with an upstanding upper I end bent in the same direction as the groove, and a lower transverse groove fitted on the cross-bar, with a depending end bent oppositely from the upper end in the-form of an upwardly extending hook.

2. A garment retainer for use with a garment hanger, said retainer being a resilient plastic round rod having 4 a diagonal groove and a spaced right-angled groove for References Cited in the file of this patent removable attachment to the garment hanger, each of UNITED STATES PATENTS said grooves being dove-tailed in cross-section, the upper portion of the rod being extended to form an upwardly 1,461,442 Duberstem July 10, 1923 2,053,633 Ratermann Sept. 8, 1936 turned end spaced parallel to the diagonal groove and 5 the lower portion of the rod being extended to form a 2,386,059 PotocZkY 1 1945 depending upwardly turned hook spaced from the right- 2,667,293 Jacob 1954 angled groove. 

